~Catbus

J. Victoria Terrell

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on the subject of Tim Burton's drawing style

Wed Jul 27, 2005, 1:24 PM

this isn't about any one person

Why do people feel the need to copy Tim Burton's style? I have seen so many artists (usually gothic-minded teenagers) copy his style. Why is this?

To tell you the truth, I never really thought his style was anything special. It's just macabre doodles of people who are way too tall and scary little monsters. But apparently tons of people love his style, because they copy it.

I have no problem with looking at a style, going, "hey, that's pretty neat", and taking elements from it. EVERYONE does that. But to go as far as making it look like you have *no* style except for the one you took from another person? That's just bad. I've seen people take Tim Burton's style, and then over time develop it into their own, unique style, which I have no problem with. But some people never change, and it's just annoying. If I were Tim Burton I wouldn't like it that so many people basically stole my drawing style.

But yeah, that's just me.

Edit edit:

SOOOooo anyways! Who saw the V for Vendetta trailer? Gives me hope about the movie project

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=-ek- Jul 27, 2005, 6:50:50 PM

Copying someone else's style so completely like that diminishes oneself considerably. |B
And alas, I haven't seen the V for Vendetta trailer.

~HabitualFlippancy Jul 27, 2005, 6:56:59 PM

Look at Jhonen Vasquez...so many people rip him off too. Even though, besides an ability to make the same stuff always look the same which I envy...he isn't very "good", but a bucnh of artists, several even that are professionals, copy his style. In the end sometimes it's a gut, primal, emotional decision to emulate who you emulate. Look at modern art...I think boring squares of color are naff crap and my cat having a seizure can make better art then Pollack ever did, whose to judge? Maybe they copy his (Burton's) art because they like his movies, and want to taste a little bit of that madness for themselves.

--
"You know, I find paranoid schizophrenics make excellent witnesses." -Robert Goren

"Rosebud...yes. Rosebud Frozen Peas. Full of country goodness and green pea-ness. Wait that's terrible. I quit." -The Critic

~Catbus Jul 27, 2005, 7:31:36 PM

it does, I just don't see the point. if you want to be an artist, why copy someone else? it takes so little creativity it's lame

go watch it! it looks pretty awesome

~Catbus Jul 27, 2005, 7:35:59 PM

YES it's the same with people and Jhonen, which seems even MORE annoying since it's trendy to copy his style. tasting someone's madness isn't bad, but to go as far as COPYING them is cheap and lame

~HabitualFlippancy Jul 27, 2005, 8:20:52 PM

Yeah their are a few deviates who piss me off and shall remain nameless cause they never. never never do original work

--
"You know, I find paranoid schizophrenics make excellent witnesses." -Robert Goren

"Rosebud...yes. Rosebud Frozen Peas. Full of country goodness and green pea-ness. Wait that's terrible. I quit." -The Critic

~mooshe Jul 28, 2005, 6:44:58 AM

You can't forget about the people who rip off Don Hertzfeldt!
Pop Tarts is probably the biggest cunt-wads to rip Don Hertzfeldt off.

And Butch Hartman. There's a lot of Fairly Oddparents fan-artists, and although it seems sensible to rip off the style for that, they end up using it for everything they do.

Although goth-minded teenagers don't touch those two like they touch Tim Burton. I mean, Tim Burton is awesome. That's why I'd rip him off, but honestly ripping off style never was a talent of mine. When I tried to be cool like my friends and draw anime-style I failed.

~Catbus Jul 28, 2005, 7:52:43 AM

yeah it's horrible

I never understood the drawing in butch hartman's style thing. I mean, his style is cute and all but I dunno. I always thought that it's A LOT more fun taking someone's character and then putting it in your own style than just copying it line for line, which I think is really boring. of course there are some REALLY good artists who take his style and put their own spin on it, which is cool

I did the anime thing for a while, but it's just so..boring sometimes. ick.

~mooshe Jul 28, 2005, 9:00:42 PM

You do very well taking other characters and meshing them into your style. It's great, really.

Back to Butch, it's cute but you really can't do a lot with it. Besides, it is vaguely creepy especially when people start drawing Wanda and Cosmo having sex0rz. x_x

I haven't done fan art in a while... well, at least of characters that aren't from books.